1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for taking pictures on a mobile communication terminal having a camera module, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for taking pictures on a mobile communication terminal having a camera module, which can control the photographing of an object in accordance with the motion of the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, mobile communication terminals are designed to provide voice communication, but have gradually developed to provide more services to users. Recently, mobile communication terminals have started to provide data services such as short message services, photograph and motion video services, and mobile banking. Users of the mobile communication terminals with camera modules can take pictures of diverse images through their mobile communication terminals, and can continuously photograph an object at specified intervals as well.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a conventional mobile communication terminal having a camera module.
The conventional mobile communication terminal 10 includes a phone module 12, a first memory 14, an Radio Frequency (RF) unit 16, an audio processing unit 18, a microphone 20, a speaker 22, a multimedia module 24, a second memory 26, a key input unit 28, and a display unit 30.
The phone module 12 is to control the telephone function, and the first memory 14 is composed of Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), etc., to store data related to programs for multiple operations. The Radio Frequency (RF) unit 16 includes an RF transmitter performing frequency up-conversion of the transmitted signal and amplifying the up-converted signal, and an RF receiver low-noise-amplifying the received signal and performing frequency down-conversion of the amplified signal. The microphone 20 converts the user's voice into an electric signal, and the audio processing unit 18 performs Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) of the electric signal, or converts the pulse-code-modulated signal into an electric signal to output the converted electric signal to the speaker 22.
The multimedia module 24 performs gamma correction and color correction of a Joint Photographic coding Experts Group (JPEG) or YUV (YCbCr) signal output from the camera module 32 in the unit of a frame. The multimedia module 24 provides still image data or moving image data to the display unit 30. The second memory 26 stores photographed images (i.e., photograph data). The camera module 32 has a digital camera function and includes a lens unit 34, an image pickup device 36, a signal processing unit 38, a JPEG codec 40, and a third memory 42. The image pickup device is implemented by a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS).
The lens unit 34 receives light reflected from an object. The image pickup device 36 converts an optical signal input through the lens unit 34 into an electric signal. The signal processing unit 38 converts the signal output from the image pickup device 36 into a digital signal. The JPEG codec 40 is provided for image compression, and the third memory 42 temporarily stores data required for the image processing operation or stores photographed image data.
The key input unit 28 is provided with multiple keys for a user to input figures or characters, and the display unit 30 is implemented by a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to display various kinds of data.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of taking pictures in a continuous photography mode in a conventional mobile communication terminal having a camera module.
The mobile communication terminal 10 determines whether a shutter key input is received from the user in a continuous photography mode, in step S42, and if the shutter key input is received (“Yes” in step S42), the mobile communication terminal 10 photographs an object using the camera module 32. If the shutter key input is not received (“No” in step S42), the mobile communication terminal is kept in a standby state. The mobile communication terminal 10 determines whether the number of pictures taken reaches a preset number of continuous pictures taken, in step S46, and continues taking pictures until the number of pictures taken reaches the preset number of continuous photography taken, in step S44.
However, in the continuous photography mode as described above, only the number of pictures taken or a continuous capture interval can be set, and thus photographs are taken regardless of the motion of the object. When the continuous capture interval is short, the motion of the object according to the continuous capture interval is not greatly changed, and thus the taken pictures are mostly the same. By contrast, when the continuous capture interval is long, the motion of the object is continuously captured through the lens unit 34 even during the capture time. Accordingly, the motion of the object is not clear, and thus the object appears blurred along the motion trace of the object. This phenomenon that the image appears blurred along the motion trace of the object is called “Blurring.”
Accordingly, there is a need for a mobile communication terminal having a camera module that can photograph diverse shapes of an object by sensing the amount of motion of the object, identifying and storing an image having a relatively severe motion of the object in comparison to the previously taken picture.